Wearing nice clothes makes you feel better about yourself

As people who wear many hats (literally), we know that we feel differently when we’re wearing a beautiful outfit, and when we just climb into what’s the most comfortable…and now, we have proof. Scientists part ofThe Journal of Experimental Cognition have been researching the effect that clothing has on the way we think and act, a phenomenon called “enclothed cognition”…and here’s the magical part: You have to be wearingthe clothes for it to take effect. According to the New York Times, if you wear someone else’s white coat and believe it came from a doctor, your ability to pay attention dramatically increases, but nothing happens if you think it came from a painter. “You have to wear the coat, see it on your body and feel it on your skin for it to influence your psychological processes,” Dr. Galinsky said, before he went on to explain how dressing like a pimp on Halloween made him feel more self-assured. We’ll pass on the feather boa and walking stick, thanks — but we’ll go ahead and get those Carven heels now, thank you very much! (NYT)